Paradise Not For Me
by deConstruction
Summary: Brooke has suffered as much heartache as she can stand, and her love for Lucas is to blame. Are they really meant for each other? Or can they only ever break each other's hearts? Please R&R!
1. Tree Hill PussyCat Dolls

**Author's Note : This is my first One Tree Hill fiction. I'm very nervous about posting it, but I hope you guys enjoy what I've written.**

**It's set at the end of Season Three, after the Naley wedding, but without the car crash. I hope you guys are with me on the point of reference. **

**To Rae - As ever, all I can say is thank you. **

**Disclaimer - I own nothing and no-one in this story. The characters/locations are owned by Warner Brothers/CW . The story is not made for any profit, just a fan adding to the One Tree Hill world.**

**Reviews are welcomed and encouraged.**

* * *

"Brooke…are you sure about this?" 

"Oh for god's sake! Stop being such a prude _Tutor Girl_, and give me that!" Without another word, Brooke snatched the fluffy peach towel out of Haley's grip, exposing the baby pink bathing costume beneath. Squeaking in abject horror, Haley bent forward, clasping both arms around her body to shield it from view. Her head darted from side to side, sending accusing glances dancing around the room, even though no-one had really paid any attention. After all, she was surrounded by a bevy of scantily clad women. Even Brooke was stripped down to a very revealing scarlet red bikini combo.

Feeling a little nauseous at the whirl of blonde hair snapping back and forth in front of her, Brooke gripped Haley by the shoulders, forcing the other girl to look straight at her. "Haley, take a breath with me. That's it…in…and out. That's good. Keep breathing like that. You'll be okay."

"Brooke," Haley wailed, making a vein attempt to snatch the towel our of her friend's iron grip, "I can't go out there dressed like this. I'm practically naked! People will see me. Nathan will see me! I can't…"

"Did I say stop breathing?" Brooke scolded, hands shooting downwards to rest on her jutting hips. Her angelic faced creased into a scowl as she regarded her friend, "you look hot Haley. Really hot. Nathan is going to lose it when he sees you like this. In fact, he should come back here and thank me. I'm pumping up the tire, so he can ride the bike."

Brooke grinned devilishly, her eyebrow arching suggestively. Haley feigned shock for a moment, before descending into giggles. Turning to look into the mirror, her head tilted as she studied her reflection. Brooke stepped into view, wrapping her arm around Haley's shoulder. "It's not so bad, is it?"

"It's cute," Brooke assured, "not as cute as me, of course. But it'll do nicely." Rolling her eyes at Brooke's barb, Haley pulled the brunette into a heartfelt hug. Two years ago, she would never have imagined herself hugging Brooke Davis, let alone being friends with her. But so much had changed in their lives. Despite coming from different backgrounds, having different interests and dreams, the two had become good friends. If living together hadn't bonded them together, having Lucas Scott as a shared interest certainly did.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Nearly squealing with excitement, Brooke gripped a small white cardboard box resting on the table nearby. Pulling back the lid, Brooke removed the soft pink rose resting inside. Carefully, she tucked a section of Haley's hair behind her ear. With as much care as she could give, Brooke eased the flower behind her ear as well. Taking a step back, Brooke seemed to admire her handy work. Clearly pleased with the outcome, she clapped her hands together excitedly. "Tonight is going to rock."

"Wow, you girls look…fantastic." Both Brooke and Haley turned to see who had commented on their appearance. Haley broke into a heartfelt smile at the sight. Brooke on the other hand had no such love. Her face was so downcast it could probably curdle milk given half the chance.

Nervously fidgeting with the sarong wrapped around her trim waist, Peyton Sawyer shuffled her feet slightly. This was more uncomfortable that she had imagined. It was hard enough to feel guilty about the hard time she had given Haley on her return to Tree Hill. But Brooke's cold stare made Peyton want to shrink away and cry. Her best friend of almost ten years couldn't bare the sight of her. Brooke had been perfectly clear on the future of their friendship. They didn't have one.

And Peyton had no-one but herself to blame. She had been the one to betray Brooke's trust by having a relationship with Lucas behind her back. She had been the one to admit to having feelings for Lucas to Brooke, knowing full well it would crush her friend. And she was the one who had kissed Lucas…again. It didn't matter on the situation, Peyton had betrayed her best friend, and she could never take it back.

"Okay friend H.J Scott," Brooke began, turning deliberately so her back was facing Peyton, "I need go and stop Bevan from putting the Amazon rainforest in her hair." Raising her voice, Brooke had already started to march across the room. "BEVAN! Back away from the table arrangement!"

Watching her friend stalk away, Peyton sighed. If she didn't believe it before, it was clear now. There really was no forgiveness left in Brooke. Not that she would blame her. Being with Lucas once was a mistake. But doing it for a second time? Hell, she wouldn't forgive herself.

"She'll come around," Haley murmured softly, rubbing the palm of her hand up in soothing circular motions around Peyton's upper back. "She loves you too much not to. Just give her some time Peyton. You'll see. Things will be alright again."

"No…they won't." Peyton whispered softly. Sniffing, she did her best to stop the tear from falling down her cheek, but failed. The tiny bead of moisture tumbled down over the curve of her cheek. Brushing it away with the tip of her thumb, Peyton forced her lips to curve into a smile. "How's Lucas doing? I haven't seen him since your wedding."

"Correction, you've been avoiding him since my wedding," Haley smiled, absent mindedly tousling her hair, "and he's doing well. He misses you. Typical for Luke, he thinks he's done something to upset him." Pouting her lips to check the coverage of her gloss, Haley turned to face Peyton directly. "I know you and Brooke are going through a rough patch, but it's not fair of you to freeze Lucas out. He's still your friend."

"I can't Hayles. Things are strained enough as they are between Lucas and Brooke. Me hanging out with Luke is just going to make things worse. I just need to stay clear of him. Brooke has to know I'm not going to go behind her back again. If I'm ever going to regain her trust, I need to keep away."

"Alright. Well, it's your decision ultimately. But I think you're making a mistake. And you're hurting my best friend in the process," Peyton's eyes filled with sadness at the harsh tone Haley held, "look Peyton, you've made some bad choices okay? But you can't change them now. All you can do is make sure you make the right ones in the future."

Opening her mouth to respond, Peyton was cut short by the stampede that was Brooke Davis. "Okay girls, we're on if five…Bevan! Would you please put the palm tree down! If I have to come over there…"

* * *

"Okay gentleman," Whitey's voice boomed out into the gymnasium, his deep intones cutting over the thudding music pulsating in the background, "in response to growing demand, we're going to have another Charity Auction. Last year, we had the 'Boy Toy' event. This year, it's my pleasure to welcome you to the first Tree Hill 'Pussycat Doll' auction!"

Drowned out by a gale of applause, Whitey chuckled at the hoots and cheers from the male members of the audience, as 'Don't Cha' burst to life from the speakers. "Now the rules. Each member of the audience has their own number. When I call it, you can make a bid. You can only make one bid for one girl. If someone else outbids you, you have the opportunity to make a counter bid. You can't change your bid, or bid for more than one girl. The highest bidder wins. Our Tree Hill 'Doll' will be yours until midnight, where you will receive a kiss. So remember to dif deep, because everything we raise tonight does to charity! Any other kind of activity will be dealt with by a serious ass whippin'. So Tim, sit down son."

The audience burst into laughter at the mention of the most eager person in the room. Flushing red, Tim Smith lowered himself into his seat. "So, without further ado, let's bring out our Tree Hill Doll's!"

The response was deafening, as the women of Tree Hill High School emerged from behind the raising curtain. Each was dressed in their swim wear, wearing a single flower to make them different from the others. In the middle of the group was the organiser of the event, Brooke Davis. Dressed in ravishing scarlet, she received wolf whistles and cheers galore. Giggling, pink crept into her cheek as she blushed under the attention.

From the audience, Nathan Scott raised to his feet, cheering wildly for the emergence of his wife, Haley James-Scott. Giggling, she offered him a slight wave, taking her place at the front of the stage. Next to Nathan, Lucas rose to his feet. Eyes fixed on Brooke, his breath was taken away at just how beautiful she really was. Grinning, he clapped appreciatively, devouring the sight of her in a bikini.

Movement at the end of the line caught his attention. Appearing at the edge of the stage, looking about as miserable as anyone he had ever seen, was Peyton Sawyer. Her eyes were downcast, her hands clasped in front of her. Lucas couldn't help but be struck by the sadness she displayed. She looked so vulnerable, as though the wrong word or look would reduce her to tears. He wanted nothing more than to take his friend into his arms, and just tell her everything would be okay.

Distracted from his thoughts, Lucas turned back to the front, just as Whitey once more addressed the crowd. "Let's start the bidding. Number One…let's hear it!"

From a seat in the back row, a baby faced jock raised to his feet, grinning as he clutched a wad of notes tightly in his hand. "Twenty dollars for the Lily!" From the left of the stage, a blonde haired girl waved her hand, giggling softly.

Chuckling, Whitey noted the amount and the girl, before moving on to the next. "Number two, what's your bid?"

"Twenty-five dollars for the bluebell!" Grinning, the girl curtseyed from the stage, winking at the Captain of the football team who had bid for her.

"Number three?" Whitey couldn't help but groan as he saw who had the number three.

Getting up from his seat, Tim cupped his hands around his mouth, acting like a megaphone to his voice. "Forty-four dollars and seven cents for the sunflower!" The crowd chuckled again, as Rachel stepped forward, a look of disbelief crossing her features. She had been sure she would get attention from a great number of the audience, and was prepared for the odd loser to take pop. But Tim? Could it get any worse than having Tim Smith bid on you?

Whitey continued listing through the numbers, each member of the audience getting their turn at bidding for the girls. Brooke led the race with six bids, Rachel coming second with four. Haley, to her own surprise had received three bids, much to the chagrin of Nathan who had yet to place his own. Peyton however, hadn't received a single bid. And it hadn't gone unnoticed.

"Number thirty. Let me hear you." Whitey, noting the name written by the number, chuckled. He could already guess the bid.

"One hundred and ninety dollars on the beautiful rose!" The crowd was taken back in shock at the amount bid. The highest bid so far hadn't topped seventy dollars. From the stage, Haley giggled, blowing a kiss at her grinning husband. Most of Tree Hill's residents were aware of the love sage between Nathan and Haley. The male members of the audience heckled Nathan for his choice, where as the girls on the stage collectively 'awwwed' his choice, giggling at chirping about the Scott's.

"Number thirty one? What's your bid?" From the stage, Brooke grinned, grabbing Haley's arms. She had been waiting for this all night. This was the point where Lucas would make an outrageous bid to win her for the evening. He had promised to bid whatever it took to take her home tonight. And she fully intended on rewarding him for parting with his hard earned cash. Things had been difficult between them recently, not least because of Peyton. But Brooke finally felt like they had turned a corner. She couldn't wait to get Lucas home and tell him how much she loved him, to let him know how much it meant for them to be together.

"Two hundred dollars on the magnolia!" If the room had been shocked at Nathan's bid before, they were floored by Lucas. Most confused, was Miss Brooke Davis.

Her brow furrowed as she tired to understand what had just happened. Turning to Haley next to her, Brooke tried to make sense of everything. "Doesn't Lucas know I'm the orchid?"

"I…I don't think it was a mistake Brooke," _Why do I have to be the bearer of bad news? _Whining to herself, Haley knew she had to tell Brooke the truth. She only hoped Tree Hill would be ready for hurricane Davis. "Lucas bid for Peyton. Peyton is the magnolia."

Brooke couldn't stop the jaw from slackening. Her head turned to the end of the stage, where Peyton stood. The blonde was blushing furiously, smiling broadly at Lucas. Matching the direction of her stare, Brooke glanced over to Lucas. His grin was goofy, the kind of smile he usually reserved for Brooke. Their eyes were locked, and Brooke was practically choking on the sparks flying between them.

Almost as if in slow motion, Lucas turned to face Brooke. In a second, the orbs of his blue eyes took in the look across his girlfriends face. It was a mixture of anger and heartbreak, culminating in a single tear bubbling to the surface of her eye. Lucas felt his mouth open. He needed to explain. This wasn't anything deceitful, nor was he trying to score an evening alone with Peyton. He simply felt for Peyton. She looked so heartbreakingly sad, and not a single person had bid on her. Every single other girl had at least two bids. There was no way he could let his friend be embarrassed like that.

It was a split second decision, in which Lucas thought he was doing the right thing. It seemed however, that every time he tried to do the right thing by one of his friends, it was Brooke who always ended up getting hurt. You'd think after messing up so many times, Lucas Scott would learn.

Apparently not.

"And for our final bid. Number Thirty two?" Whitey's voice turned into a growl as he recognised the name next to the number. Looking up from the podium, he lowered his reading glasses down from his eyes. He really had to see this from himself. From the back of the room, the mocking tone rang over the music.

"Five hundred dollars on the rose." The entire room turned around in unison, to face the grinning Mayor Dan Scott. Feeling his blood boil, Nathan rose to his feet, eyes fixed on his father. It was one thing for him to mess with Lucas and himself. But if Dan even thought for a second Nathan would stand by and let him screw around with his wife…well he had another thing coming.

"Five hundred and fifty dollars on the rose." Nathan bit back. He would not be out bid by his father, not when his wife was concerned.

"Five hundred and eighty dollars." Dan's smile grew colder as he advanced towards his son, both eyes biting into Nathan's.

"Five hundred and ninety-five dollars." That was it. Nathan was tapped. He could go up another fifteen dollars, and that would be it. Somehow, he doubted very much that Dan Scott and his deep pockets were through.

"Eight hundred dollars." Stepping to the front of the audience, Dan was very aware how quiet the room was. He clearly wasn't welcome, nor did anyone approve of him bidding on his own son's wife. But what could anyone do? He had the money and power to do whatever he wanted.

Sighing, Nathan turned to the stage, looking in despair at his wide-eyed wife. Haley turned from Nathan to Brooke, unsure what she could do. It seemed it was up to Whitey to break the air of unease in the room.

"Number thirty two takes it. All sales are final. Thank you everyone, bidders, please wait in the lobby for your Dolls." The crowd burst into excited chatter, and began dispersing around the room, some waiting in groups as the other made their way to the lobby.

The stage of girls giggled and chattered excitedly. On the whole, the girls had been pleased with those who had bid on them. It was the select few who had been disappointed.

Nathan looked helplessly at Haley. He had lost. Just when his wife had depended on him to come through for her, he had failed her. And now Nathan was leaving the most precious thing in his life to the grips of his father. He couldn't think of a worse scenario. There was no telling what Dan had in store for Haley. For her part, Mrs. James-Scott looked as though she'd just been informed of her own impending death. Even if someone had outbid Nathan, she could have coped with it. Anyone except Dan. This was her idea of a real nightmare. What would he say to her? What would he do her? The timid blonde suddenly felt very afraid.

On the floor, Lucas pushed his way towards the stage. He couldn't let his girlfriend think the worst of him. They had come too far to let this charity auction come between them, and he would be damned if he lost her again.

"Brooke, wait! Let me explain…" Hearing Lucas' voice, Brooke resembled a startled deer. Lucas was already climbing up onto the stage, gunning straight for her. Peyton was crossing over towards her, already babbling apologies. Feeling surrounded, Brooke couldn't think. This was supposed to be a great night for her and Lucas, when she was going to reaffirm her love form him. And he didn't choose her. He chose Peyton. Her backstabbing ex-best friend. The girl he had cheated on with. He chose Peyton. Unable to think, the brunette turned on her heel, and fled to the back of the stage, disappearing behind the curtain and heading straight for the dressing room. She had to get away now.

"Brooke!" Lucas called, chasing after her as fast as his legs would carry him.

Grinning from the floor, Mayor Scott folded his arms across his chest as he watched the scene play before his eyes. _This night was going to be a lot more fun than he thought. _


	2. What Do I Have To Do?

**_A/N: _Update. Okay, so I had no idea how passionate One Tree Hill fans were! My lord do you guys love the show! I thank you all for your reviews. It means a lot when you take the time to post your thoughts and comments on what I have written. So feel free to abuse me ;)**

**As a heads up, I'm a huge Brucas nut! So stick with me ;)**

**Rae - Have I never told you how twisted I am? Heh! This is just the beginning...**

**As ever, I disclaim! Please read and review!**

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_Just get your purse, get your shoes, and get out._ The mantra rolled around in Brooke Davis' head over and over again, until her lips twitched slightly, verging on repeating it out loud.

Nearly stumbling over an electrical wire, she caught herself on the hand railing attached to the stairs. Using her own momentum to her advantage, Brooke swung around the rail, her feet thundering down each of the stone steps. At the bottom, she sped forward, smashing as hard as she could into the door to the dressing room. The ancient hinges groan under the force, the door swinging wildly open. Had anyone been stood behind it, they would have been knocked for six.

Not that Brooke cared. Her scantily clad form tore into the dressing room, by passing girls and stage hands, crashing into others. She spotted her belongings resting on the far table. With renewed effort, she hurtled around the side of a chair, hand lunging towards her purse.

Brooke's hands were a blur, ripping off her sandals, grabbing at her heels. They were on her feet in a second, the other footwear crammed as best they could be into her purse. Reaching for her jacket, Brooke stopped. The tips of her fingers traced the lining of the leather material. The tactile contact brought with it a fresh wave of sadness to Brooke's stomach, spilling upwards into her throat.

It was Lucas's jacket.

They had spent the afternoon together, being silly together, laughing and talking. It had been one of the most perfect moments in the history of their relationship. Brooke had lost herself so much in Lucas's deep blue eyes that time had escaped her, and before she knew it, she was late. Not having time to get what she needed from home, Lucas had given his jacket to her for her to wear. It had been a simple gesture, not uncommon between couples. But it had melted Brooke's heart none the less.

Sniffing back the fresh wave of tears, Brooke whipped around, careening off. It was getting too much, and she wouldn't be able to stay in control a second longer.

Clearly not looking where she was going, Brooke didn't notice Lucas until she was upon him, running into his toned chest at full speed. Feeling the air forced out his lungs, Lucas gasped, gripping Brooke between his arms, crushing her to his chest. He had done so to stop them both from tumbling to the ground, but also because he knew it was the only way he could stop her from running away.

"Brooke…would you just…please…" Fighting for air, Lucas sucked in oxygen in animated gulps, all the while trying to still the animal brunette thrashing in his arms. Man was she tough. Just holding her against him was becoming a job of work for the elder Scott brother.

"Get…your hands…off me Lucas…let me go!" With a concentrated effort, Brooke shoved as hard as she could, knocking Lucas totally off balance. A look of shock touched his features as he registered his girlfriend's considerable strength, as he staggered in an effort to stay upright. Hell clearly had no fury like a Brooke scorned.

"Would you just let me explain, please? C'mon Brooke…" Lucas reached his hand forward, his voice pleading, aiming to grab the arm of Brooke. She shrugged him off, throwing an entirely icy stare his way as a warning to keep his distance.

"There's nothing to explain Lucas. You've made your bet, now go and pick up your prize." Sneering the last word, Brooke gripped at the handle of her purse. It hadn't been sealed properly, and as a result, the contents spewed everywhere. Make up cascaded in all directions, causing Brooke to groan in frustration.

Dropping to her knees, her hands reached for cylinders and boxes, stuffing them as best she could back into her purse. Lowering himself to ground level, Lucas attempted to help his girlfriend, earning himself a growl for his efforts.

"Brooke, why are you doing this? What did I do?" It was becoming a far too regular occurrence, as far as Lucas was concerned. One minute, everything was fine in their relationship. They were both blissfully happy, wrapped up in each other's love. The next, Brooke was verging on the psychotic, doing everything she could to get Lucas out of her life. He'd said it before in a fit of desperation, but now Lucas was starting to wonder if his diagnosis was correct. Brooke Davis was psychotic. At the very least, she must have some personality disorder. How else could you explain the change in demeanour?

"If you're asking me that," she scoffed, rolling her eyes, "then clearly there's a bigger problem here than I thought." Reaching out for a tube of lip gloss, Lucas got there first, snatching it completely out of Brooke's reach.

"Is this because I bid on Peyton? Is that was this is about? Brooke," Lucas whined, rolling his own eyes to the sky, "what do I have to do to prove to you that I love you? Obviously me telling you a thousand times a day is not getting the job done. Please, tell me. What do you want from me?"

"Maybe to pick me over her, just once!" Brooke heard the hysteria in her own voice, imagining the kind of attention she was drawing. "For once Lucas, why can't you choose me over her? You say you love me so much and you couldn't even pick me at a stupid charity auction. You chose her."

Her hand reached up to her face, brushing away a tear tumbling down over the round of her cheek. Lucas considered his words. Saying the wrong thing now would cause Brooke to flip out at monumental proportions. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. Peyton just looked so sad. No one bid on her…and she just seemed really miserable. I was just trying to be a good friend."

"Oh get a grip Luke! She always looks miserable. It's her 'thing'. Poor tortured brooding Peyton Sawyer with those big 'just show me love' doe eyes. Every time she pulls this crap you drop everything and go running." Grunting in frustration, Brooke stood back up to her full height, Lucas following suit.

"I don't drop everything..." Lucas found his own defence weak. He could only imagine how Brooke would take it.

"Maybe not everything. But I always seem to end up on my ass, don't I?" Slinging her hair back over her shoulder, Brooke's eyes flittered towards the exit. She could make a break for it now. Just turn and run. She could get inside the safety of her car and leave this dramatic train wreck here.

"You're totally overreacting about this Brooke. There is nothing going on between me and Peyton. You need to start believing that, because I don't know how much more of this jealousy I can take." Lucas truly looked downtrodden, as if going through this same routine with Brooke was weighing heavily on him. And it was. No matter how much he wanted to believe otherwise, Lucas could never shake the feeling that Brooke was looking for some reason to end things between them. It was slowly wearing Lucas down.

Narrowing her eyes, Brooke's voice came out as in a viscous hiss. "Jealous? Excuse me?" Hands finding their usual place on her hips, her glare would strike fear into the bravest of hearts. "Don't you dare! Don't you dare try and turn this around on me. I am not acting like some jealous school girl. You went behind my back with Peyton Lucas! When you were supposed to be together, you were hiding in the stacks playing suck face with her! You broke up with me, to be with her!"

Lucas opened his mouth to mount some kind of defence, but the words wouldn't come. "How the hell did you think I was going to react? It's not some dumb-ass blonde you bid on, it's the girl you chose over me to be with," Brooke stopped mid sentence, as though the meaning of her words were suddenly sinking in for her, "you chose her over me. Just like tonight. Your one bid…and you picked her. Well I so hope your bid is worth it Luke…because it's cost you me."

Shaking her head, the brunette snapped her purse shut. Turning her back to Lucas, she began to head for the exit, keeping her back to Lucas. If nothing else, there was no way he was going to see her cry. Not again.

Lucas could only watch her walk away, possibly out of his life. Part of him felt like his heart was breaking. He was losing the love of his life. And yet, part of him was positively livid. How could be expected to be in a relationship with that girl? She just could not let the past go. No matter how much he apologised, or told her that he loved her it was never going to enough. Brooke would never let go of the fact that he cheated on her with her best friend. And if that were true, why should even bother trying anymore? They were just never going to get past it.

_I'll tell you why, you moron, because you love her with every fibre of your being. Now stop feeling sorry for yourself and go get her before its too late!_

Taking solace in his own sense of reason, Lucas broke into a light jog, following after the love of his life. He could only hope he wasn't too late.

* * *

"What the hell do you think you're doing Dan? Why did you bid on Haley? What game are you playing?" 

Gritting his teeth in fury, Nathan clenched and un-clenched both fists at his sides. Were he not surrounded by people filing out of the gym, he would love nothing more than to pound the living hell out of Mayor Dan Scott. And if he kept up that nauseating grin, he probably would anyway.

"I was just getting into the spirit of charity son," Dan smiled, practically oozing smug superiority, "as the Mayor, I should be leading by example, so I whole heartedly support this good cause."

"Why Haley? There are ten other girls you could have chosen. Why my wife?" Silently, Nathan was pleading with Dan to say the wrong thing. He just needed an excuse to wipe the floor with this sorry excuse for a human being.

"Well she is my daughter-in-law Nate. I thought your lovely wife and I could take this time to get to know one another a little better. After all, we haven't had more than a handful of conversations since the two of you got married. I'd like to become friends with the girl that stole my son away." On the surface, Dan appeared to be joking. But anyone who knew him could tell he was deadly serious in what he was saying. On some level, Dan blamed Haley for taking his son away, and that fact hadn't escaped Nate.

Finding the excuse he needed, Nate had his father up against the nearest wall, fist raised to connect with Dan's jaw. He would have landed the punch, had Haley not intervened. Both her tiny hands gripped Nate's wrists, pulling his arm back with all her might. "Nathan, no! He's not worth it!"

She looked like a rag doll hanging from his toned arm. In all reality, had he wanted to go through with the punch, there would have been no way for Haley to stop him from doing so. But Haley didn't want Nathan to punch his father. So despite his misgivings, he would do as his wife wanted.

Releasing his grip on Dan, Nathan lowered his fist, turning to face his wife. Reaching her hand up to cup his jaw, her face beamed with pride at his restraint. The loving look was replaced by a cold glare as she regarded Dan. "I think it's a good idea, actually. I've always wanted to get to know the man who forced my husband to emancipate himself." Flashing an entirely false smile at the Mayor, Haley focused her attention back to Nathan.

"Hayles, are you sure?" Hands resting on Haley's waist, the younger Scott brother drew her closer, "I don't want to get hurt by Dan and his games. This can't end well."

"I'll be fine Nate," Haley assured, leaving a gentle kiss on his lips, "It's only till midnight, and you can come pick me up." Smiling, she squeezed Nathan's hands in her own. Nathan's head turned from his wife, to scowl at his father, before turning back to Haley. This was a bad idea, and he knew it. But Haley had made her decision. He would just have to live with it.

"Alright. But you stay in public places," Nathan instructed, concern flickering his eyes, "and if he does anything, and I mean anything you don't like, you call me straight away. Make sure you keep your cell phone one." Just once phone call and he would be there so fast to pound on Dan he wouldn't know what hit him.

"I will. Thanks baby, I love you." Wrapping her arms around her husband's neck, Haley pulled him closer to her. Their lips met in a soft kiss, Haley revelling in the feeling of his soft lips caressing hers. Even after all this time, just his kiss was enough to send butterflies fluttering to a frenzy in her stomach.

"I love you too," Nathan grinned, reluctant to release her hands as she walked towards his estranged father. His words for Dan were all together less pleasant. "And I'm warning you. If you pull any kind of stunt with her, I swear you will live to regret it."

"Don't worry son. I'll be the perfect gentlemen." The Cheshire cat grin curled Dan Scott's mouth into a repulsive curve, causing Nathan to feel sick to his stomach. He could only watch on as Dan wrapped his arm around Haley's shoulders, guiding her towards the car park. This was the worst idea in the history of bad ideas. But there was nothing he could do about it now. Unless…

The thought crossed Nathan's mind in an instant, bringing a smile to his own lips. The younger Scott didn't see any reason why he couldn't follow his father and his wife for the evening. Surely that wasn't against the rules of the charity auction? Besides, they would never have to know he was there. Everybody would be a winner. Dan could play his game, Haley would tell him to get stuffed, and Nathan would feel a whole lot better if he could keep and eye on them both. Reaching into his pocket for his car keys, Nate congratulated himself on his own brilliance. Haley would be so proud. Moving towards the parking lot, Nathan became distracted by a commotion at the doors to the gymnasium.

Turning over his shoulder, Nathan looked in time to see the sight of a scantily clad Brooke Davis running as if for dear life. Her warm brown eyes, glistening with tears seemed to notice him as he saw her. All at once, she changed her direction, heading straight for him.

Brooke had clearly been crying, and didn't look as though she could stop herself. Lifting both his arms, Nathan caught her as she collided into him. Her cheeks were streaked with tears, as her petit body trembled in the cold.

"Nathan…would you give me a ride?" Her teeth chattered slightly, matching the rhythm of her trembling body. In a vein attempt, Brooked hugged her arms around herself, trying to keep warm as best she could in such little clothing.

"Uh, sure Brooke…but isn't that your car over there?" With his free arm, Nathan motioned to parking lot, where Brooke's car was parked. Not that he minded giving her ride, but it seemed an odd request, all things considered.

"Yes," she shivered, "but I lost my car keys. So will you?" Okay, so technically her keys had fallen out of her bag when she had dropped it in the dressing room. But there was no way she was going back down there to find them. She would sooner walk home, beach-wear and all.

"Alright, c'mon. My car's just over here." Placing his hand on the small of her back, Nathan guided her towards his car. So much for plans to follow Dan, he mused to himself. Still, Brooke was clearly distraught about something. If he were any kind of friend, he would try and help her. Not that he knew what the hell he could say. Emotional turmoil was not exactly Nathan's area of expertise. The best thing he could suggest was a picture of the one you hated, a tin of red paint and a lot of vodka.

By the time Lucas made it out of the gym, he was already too late. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Nate closing door to his car, Brooke clearly seated in the passenger's seat inside. Breaking into a full speed run, he yelled for all he was worth. "BROOKE!"

But he was too late. Nathan had already started the engine, and his car pulled out of the car park at a considerable speed. Coming to a stop where Nate's car had been, Lucas rested his hands on his knees, doing his best to get his breath back. He had taken entirely too long to get up here, and now Brooke was gone. What was he going to do now?

"Lucas?"

The elder Scott brother stiffened slightly, not just at the mention of his name, but because of who had said it. Standing to attention, he craned his neck to the side, to the source of the voice. Stepping into a pool of light glowing from the street lamp above, Peyton smiled softly, nervously fidgeted with the zip on her jacket. "I guess we have to talk."

Taking solace in his own sense of reason, Lucas broke into a light jog, following after the love of his life. He could only hope he wasn't too late. 


	3. Runaway Lover

**_A/N: _Update for you lovely people. Here is a new chapter for you guys. Thank you, as ever, for your reviews. **

**I'm really not one for explaining myself, nor justifying what I write in my stories, as I find that contradicts the point of writing in itself. As a reader, I interpret what others create and hope others do the same with my work. I write about what inspires me, and I hope others get something from it too, at the very least think about what I've come up with. **

**That being said, I guess I should reply to Melissa. I'm sorry to disagree with you, but I do care about the logic in my story, and I find it rather presumptuous on your part, not to mention just a little bit rude, to say that I don't. **

**My advice to you would be to see past your own views on who Lucas is and how he could act. I'm not a writer for the TV show, so the Lucas I write isn't going to be a carbon copy of the person CMM plays. I write how I interpret his character would react. If that differs from the way you see him, it doesn't make my view point any less valid that yours. **

**If you actually _read _who I think he is, instead of applying who you think she should be, you'd probably enjoy my story a little more. And no, he is neither ignorant or irrational, he's just a guy trying to make sense of a difficult situation. If you'd like me to explain my reasoning more clearly as to why he reacted like he did, feel free to PM/e-mail me and I will happily share with you who I think Lucas is and why he does what he does. But thank you for taking the time to review.**

**Tiffany Rae - Thanks for the heads up. I never really thought about allowing anonymous reviews before.**

**Brucas46forever - Sorry I confused you. Where I edited and re-posted that chapter, some how a line from the middle of the story appeared at the end. I will fix it I promise!**

* * *

Drumming the tip of his thumb on the top of the steering wheel, Nathan Scott cast his gaze out of the window. Darkness stretched out on all sides, broken intermittently with the odd beam of orange streaming from the lamps above. Apart from the occasional vehicle passing by, things were pretty quiet. Odd, by Tree Hill standards considering it was a Friday night. He was used to seeing people scattered about the town, even the odd group of teenagers just hanging with each other.

But there was nothing. Tonight it seemed, was going to the first time for a lot of things.

Turning his attention back inside the car, his eyes feel across the huddled form of Brooke. Arms folded tightly across her chest, she looked as though she were desperately trying to become part of it - as if she could phase into the very object itself.

The fact that she was trembling wasn't lost on Nathan. Keeping his eyes firmly on the road, he stretched his arm out, clicking on the heat. Resting back into his seat, he was officially stumped. He knew he was supposed to say something, at least make an attempt at trying to comfort Brooke, but he was out of his element. Nathan knew he wasn't terribly good at managing his own feelings, so helping someone else with there's was going to be new territory for him.

"Thanks." Brooke muttered, feeling the effects of the warm air billowing in invisible clouds around her. Her tears had long since dried, leaving ugly streaks down her cheeks. Checking her appearance in the side mirror, she barely recognised her own face. It was like some macabre clown sneering back at her, chuckling hideously at the cold closing around her heat.

"You're welcome," Nathan returned, stealing a glance across at the brunette. Silence fell between them once more, causing Nathan's words to tumble over his lips. "You want me to take you home?"

Brooke seemed to consider the offer for a second. "No." It was true, Brooke didn't want to go home. That would mean being alone. Or worse still, being confronted by Lucas. It wasn't something she could deal with right now. Brooke craved space, and time to think things through, even if that meant sitting in abject silence with Nathan Scott. "Can we just…drive?"

"Sure…" Nathan responded, furrowing his brow. This was going to be more complicated that he originally thought. An eternity of silence rested between them, neither one speaking, or looking in the other's direction. They might have been in the same car, but they were on entirely different planets. At least that's how it felt. Doing the best he could, Nathan attempted to be a good friend. "Do you want to talk about anything?"

"No." Nathan pondered over the response he got from Brooke. Was that a '_no - I don't want to talk about it because it's too upsetting_', or a '_no - I don't want to talk about it and if you ask me again I'll force feed you your own genitalia_', or a '_no - I'm saying this but I actually want to get some stuff on my chest so please try again.'_

Deciding he would trust the latter, Nathan prayed he wasn't about to be on the end of Brooke's viscous tongue. "Is it Lucas? Did he do something to piss you off?"

"It's about fifty-fifty what he did, and what he didn't do," Brooke sighed, lolling her head back to rest against the seat, "but I don't want to talk about it, and I can hardly see you wanting to listen to me complain about your big brother."

"Hey, I've got nothing better planned." Okay, that may have been lie. Nate had wanted to follow his father and his wife for their 'date', but he guessed Brooke needed him more right now. "Besides, I'm always up for hearing someone trash talk Luke." Grinning at Brooke, he noted her sceptically raised eye brow. "What? I'm serious. I hated him for the best part of seventeen years. You don't just get over that much testosterone."

Chuckling at Nate's attempt at humour, Brooke ran her hand back through the thickness of her hair, silently grateful at this attempt to lighten the mood. Rolling her head to the side, her chocolate brown eyes rested on Nathan, a quizzical, if slightly amused glint reflecting in their depths. "How is it that you and I never got together Nate?" Smirking at Nate's curious expression, Brooke sat up straighter in her seat. "I'm serious. We're both insanely cute, I'm the Captain of the Cheerleading squad, you're the Captain of the Basketball team, it's a match made in High School Heaven."

Grinning, Nathan realised it was a fair question. "I'm pretty sure I asked you out a few years back, and you turned me down." Brooke burst into a fit of giggling at his answer. "And we never really talked in school, not before Lucas anyway. Plus, I was dating Peyton -…"

"Ah yes, the emotional car wreck that is Miss Peyton Sawyer," Brooke sneered, bearing her perfect white teeth like fangs, "everybody's' favourite little victim. How could I forget? She's always the first choice for the Scott family."

Nathan didn't have to be good with feelings to know that he'd touched a nerve. Brooke's tremendous over-share, not to mention the furious pout and tightly folded arms were enough to tell him he'd hit on something. "So you've got a beef with Peyton?"

"If you consider the fact she's a lying, cheating back-stabber, of an ex best friend who as we speak is probably all over my soon to be ex-boyfriend, then yes. I do have a beef." Exhaling softly, Nathan visibly recoiled in his seat. He had seen Brooke annoyed before, but that paled in comparison to the disdain dripping over her lips. This girl was scary when she was mad. Silently thankful of Haley's placid demeanour, Nathan decided to try his luck again.

"You and Lucas did have a fight." Nothing. Brooke's face was stony, not letting anything past. "Was it because he bid on Peyton?" _Jackpot genius_. Brooke's glare was enough to turn Nathan's blood to ice. It all suddenly made sense now. It was just another instalment that was the saga of Brooke/Lucas/Peyton. Nathan often wondered why they just didn't have a threesome and be done with the whole thing.

"I've changed my mind Nate. Take me home." Her words sounded forced, coming out from what was nearly gritted teeth. Brooke was fully aware of how psychotic she must be appearing Nate. He didn't deserve to be on the receiving end of her wrath. She'd be better of alone where she could rant and insult by herself. "Nathan, you just missed the turning. We're going completely in the wrong direction…"

Hitting the central locking, Brooke's car lock snapped down into the locked position. Hitting his foot on the accelerator, Nathan stayed fixed on course. He was heading out of Tree Hill. If he accomplished nothing else this night, he was going to help Brooke Davis. All he had to do was figure out how.

* * *

"You want a cup of coffee?" Lucas turned his head over his shoulder to focus on Peyton. Clicking the light switch, _'Karen's Café' _became flooded with soft lighting. Peyton became bathed in the glow from above. She had selected a seat towards the back of the room, drawing her knees up to rest beneath her. Glancing up to meet Lucas's gaze, she smiled as she shook her head.

Nodding slightly, Lucas trudged across the café to get behind the counter. Snatching at the coffee pot, it was still half full and surprisingly warm. It wouldn't be a steaming cup of coffee, but the elder Scott brother would take what he get right now. Pouring the black liquid into a nearby foam cup, Lucas grabbed at the display of muffins resting on the edge of the counter. Catching two in his grasp, he made his way over to where Peyton was sat. Tossing on of the muffins to her, he dropped into the nearest seat, unable to contain the defeated sigh escaping his lips.

Licking her own lips, Peyton made a show of tearing a piece of the muffin off from the main body. Holding it up to her lips, she was unable to take it in her mouth. She never could stomach food when she was this nervous. Placing the muffin in her lap, Peyton dared to look across at Lucas.

If one thing was clear, Lucas Scott should never play poker. He clearly sucked at hiding his emotions. The features on his beautiful face were clearly pained, and Peyton was certain she could hear the cogs in his mind working over some kind of dilemma.

Her knack for picking the worst time for emotional heart to hearts was clearly as good as ever.

"Lucas..." Peyton began, unsure of how she could continue. There were a million things she could tell him, and even more thoughts she wanted to share. These past few weeks had been some of the hardest in her life, not least because of her feelings for Lucas. What had started as confession in a life or death situation had snowballed into something more.

Or maybe it hadn't. Maybe those feelings she had for Lucas had been burning inside her for a long time, she had just chosen to ignore them up until now. It took the breaking of someone else heart to make her listen to her own.

But by listening to her own dreams and desires, Peyton had managed to alienate her best friend. Why couldn't it ever be simple? What happened to the days when you could have feelings for someone else, and the worst thing you had to worry about was them being reciprocated. No-one ever said anything about burning bridges with your loved ones to get what your heart yearned for.

And now she had the chance to be completely honest with Lucas, Peyton just could not bring herself to do it. Part of her feared Lucas would shoot her down, and confess he had moved on. Moved on to Brooke Davis. Although, if she were being honest, in the darkest corners of her heart, Peyton secretly hoped that Lucas felt the same way about her. It was all she wanted.

But if that were true, it would devastate Brooke even more. There was no way Peyton could that to her friend, not again. Forcing a smile to her mouth, Peyton pushed her feelings for Lucas back down into the darkness where they had crawled up from. She would deal with them later. Right now, Lucas needed her. "…do you wanna talk about it?"

From across the table, Lucas studied Peyton's expression. From the outside, it looked like the blonde girl was fighting a war with herself, two halves of the same whole battling for dominance. One side clearly won, at least if the false smile was anything to go by. "I doubt you want to hear me moan about my relationship with Brooke."

"No, it doesn't really rate high on my '101 Fun activities in Tree Hill' list. But it doesn't mean I won't. What's up with you two?" Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Peyton eyes Lucas intently. She was his friend. She had a duty to be there for him in any way she could. All other concerns would be secondary.

"We got into this fight tonight. And I don't know why." Lucas was understating the impact of the harsh words they exchanged, but he didn't see the need to fill Peyton in on Brooke's last words to him. God, they didn't even bare thinking about.

"This is because you bid for me isn't it." Slapping the palm of her hand to forehead, Peyton felt a fresh wave of guilt flood through her body.

"No," Lucas attempted, "okay yes. But I don't see why this has to be such a big deal between us. I know I told her I'd bid for her, but I guess I thought you needed my bid more than she did. She wasn't exactly lacking for attention, was she?"

"Oh thanks Luke. Don't I feel loved and not at all repulsive." Peyton grinned sarcastically.

"You know what I mean Peyton. She just has this twisted way of looking at our friendship. I know I've hurt her in the past, but I really thought we'd moved on from that. I thought she trusted in how much I love her. But every time you're mentioned, she just goes DEFCON one of me. It's really starting to wear me down." Sighing, Lucas took a huge bite out of his muffin, visibly chewing the desert.

"Not that I don't appreciate the random act of kindness Luke, but have you looked at this from Brooke's perspective?" At Lucas's curious expression, Peyton decided it best to explain herself. "You had one bet, and you win a girl. You chose me Luke, not your girlfriend. Can't you see how that would have appeared to her? It would shake any girls' confidence. You basically told her that you wanted me more than her." _If only that were true._

"But that's not what it was," Lucas exclaimed, throwing his hands up in frustration, "I didn't pick you because I wanted you more. I just wanted to do the right thing by my friend. I would have done the same thing if Haley had been in your position. You're both my friends and I would always be there for you. I thought Brooke would see that. At the very least I thought she'd understand why I did it, and not make such a huge deal."

"Are you kidding me? This is Brooke Davis we're talking about. If there is one person you could count on to make a huge deal out of something, it would be her. And you are her Achilles heal. You not bidding for her, instead bidding for the girl you cheated with was a worst case scenario for Brooke, especially as I'm not her favourite person right now. She must have felt like she lost tonight. She'll start looking at herself, trying to figure out what she did wrong, wondering if this is a sign that you'll leave her again." Peyton nodded her head, knowing too well how her friend would react.

"But that's not what I meant," Lucas wailed. "There was nothing behind me bidding on you! Why does she have to read into everything so much? Maybe tonight was a bad example, but this _thing_ is all the time. She's always suspicious of me when it comes to you. She doesn't get this insane over my friendship with Haley, only you. She just tenses up and becomes a bitch about everything, taking every little thing to the most extreme of degrees. I try and tell her she's got nothing to worry about but she just will not listen. How am I supposed to date someone who won't trust me?"

Peyton felt truly sorry for Lucas. It wasn't like he deserved to be on the receiving end of Brooke's jealousy. Brooke was being unreasonable about this, and Peyton could see it. In fact, all she wanted to was just take the boy in her arms, to smooth his hair and whisper everything would be alright.

Get a grip Peyton.

"I agree she does take things overboard, but you broke her heart Luke. She's always going to have a problem with you and I being friends. I don't need to tell you the kind of issues she has with trust. She let her guard down for you…and you cheated on her. With her best friend no less. It hurt her so badly, I honestly didn't know if she would ever make it through…" Peyton smiled weakly. She was really a lot of help tonight.

"Don't you think I know that?" Standing up from the chair, Lucas tossed the muffin to the ground in frustration. "Not a day goes by where I don't feel guilty for what I did to Brooke. I wish I could take it back but I can't. I have to live with the fact that I broke her heart and caused her so much pain every single day that I'm with her. And I'm sorry, I am…but I can't keep doing this. She can't keep punishing me for one mistake. It's killing me Peyton."

Walking away from the chair, Lucas crossed across the length café. Reaching the glass window, he rested his head against the cold glass, his eyes gently sliding to a close. From her seat, Peyton took in the weight of Lucas's words. "What are you saying Luke?"

"I feel like I'm slowly losing my girlfriend." Sighing softly, Lucas pivoted on his foot, so his back rested against the glass of the window. "Ever since we got together, I've been so scared that she's just waiting for an excuse to break us up, like she wants revenge for how I hurt her. I know I don't deserve to have her in my life, but I'm still terrified of her leaving me. I think our friendship is going to be what pushes her away…but I can't give you up either..." Sniffing gently, Lucas could feel the swell of tears bubbling at the back of his eyes. "I can't live like this Peyton. She's making it so damn hard to love her…"

Getting up from her seat, Peyton was in Lucas' arms in an instant, cradling his head against her shoulder. She held him tenderly, trying to be the support he needed. Everything in her body told her it was a mistake to be this close to Lucas. Just the touch of his skin, his heady scent…it sent sparks tearing through Peyton's body.

I'll be okay. Just focus on Lucas. He needs you right now. Just be a friend Peyton. Peyton's rationalisation worked for a matter of seconds. And then she felt Lucas's arms wrap around her waist.

* * *

"So, do I get to know where you're taking me Mr. Scott?" Eyes fixed in a firm glare, Haley looked across the back of the limo to the Mayor. His lips were parted into that self satisfied grin, though the look didn't reach his eyes. They said something entirely different.

"It's a surprise," Dan enthused, grabbing a bottle of inordinately expensive champagne from the bucket. Reaching for a glass, he poured the fizzing liquid to the brim, offering it to his daughter in law. "Champagne?"

"No thank you." Haley replied curtly, turning in her seat to face away from the Mayor. Suddenly agreeing to go out with Dan seemed like a bad idea. Part of her wanted to admit defeat and just call Nathan to come and get her. But there was that small nagging voice in the back of her head, forcing her to stay put and see what Dan had to say for himself.

"Suit yourself. But it is exquisite." Dan remarked, taking a long sip from the glass.

"I'm sure it is. You enjoy it _boozy_." At once Haley clapped her hand over her mouth, realising what she had just come out of her mouth. Since when did Haley James-Scott have a sharp tongue?

She relieved if nothing else that Dan simply chuckled, before draining the glass of the champagne. "I see Nate picked a spirited young girl. Well, it's definitely a change from the manic depressive type he was seeing before you."

"I hope that's not Peyton you're talking about Mr. Scott. She happens to be my friend, and I would appreciate you not insulting her." Biting back the myriad of insults sizzling on the tip of her tongue, Haley settled from rubbing the tips of her fingers over the leather seating.

"I wouldn't dream of it Haley. And please, call me Dan." His smile was sickeningly false and totally unnecessary as far as Haley was concerned.

"No thank you." She replied again, without bothering to turn to face her father in law.

"Something gives me the impression you don't like me very much Miss James." Dan countered, trying his best to keep his temper from flaring up. It wouldn't do to belittle his son's wife. At least not yet anyway.

"It's Mrs. James-Scott…and gosh, I was trying so hard to appear genuine." Firing back her own smile, Haley was through playing games. "Can we just cut the small talk Mr. Scott and skip to the part to where you tell me what game you're playing now."

"Game? There's no game Haley. I'm just trying to get to know the girl who stole my son away." Dan leaned closer across the back seat, forcing Haley to draw back. "I need to know just exactly what she offered to make him turn his back on his basketball career, and to break up his family."

Gripping her cell phone inside her purse, Haley's voice was shakier than she would have liked as she spoke. "I didn't do anything to take your son away, or break up your family. I'm pretty sure you did that all by yourself."

A flicker of anger rippled over Dan's features, betraying his true emotions. His towering form leant across the seat towards Haley, eyes blazing in muted anger. Much closer than he had been before, Haley was face to face with her father in law. Keeping her panic under control, she calmly flicked open her cell phone inside her purse. She was more than willing to hit speed dial, should she need it.

Relaxing his features, Mayor Scott seemed genuinely pleased at scaring Haley. It was all about power to Dan. If you had, you should use it over those weaker than yourself. Haley was just an easy target, practice if you will, for a much bigger fish.

The limo pulled to halt, shaking Haley out of her seat so much so she had to grip at the door to stop herself from tumbling forward. Turning curiously to face Dan, she was met with an insidious smirk. "Where are we?"

"I already told you, it's a surprise." Dan chuckled, practically salivating at his own genius. "You will absolutely die."

More shaken than she would care to admit, Haley gripped the handle of the door. Fuelling the rising panic in her chest, she realised it was locked. Begging herself to remain calm, she focused her gaze on any available exits, desperately trying to find an escape route. There was no way she would be stuck inside the back of this car with _him. _

Just as she formulated a plan to break through the window in the roof, Haley squeaked in surprise as the door next to her swung open. Whipping her head around to make her escape, she stopped, remaining deadly still. After everything she had prepared for, she certainly hadn't thought of this. The sound of Dan's satisfied cackle filled her ears, adding to the panic building in her throat.

What had she gotten herself into?


End file.
